Tod Swank
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Tod Swank was a professional skateboarder in the 1980s, as well as an accomplished skateboarding photographer, working as the first Senior Photographer at Transworld Skateboarding Magazine. Swank was also a skateboard company owner, as well as the owner of TumYeto, a skateboard distributor who created the motto "By Skateboarders, For Skateboarders" well before any other skateboard company used that saying, which has, as of this writing, found its way far into the depths of the Cliché Zone. TumYeto is the distributor and owner of Foundation Super Company, Toy Machine, Zero, Pig Wheels, Landspeed, Ruckus, Poot, and other brands. Swank is an accomplished musician, playing bass at various times in Crankshaft, Custom Floor, Loaded, and the LetDowns. Swank's skateboard 'zine (pronounced "zeen" and short for magazine) Swank Zine was among the first and best of the original wave of underground zeroxed press that kept communication in underground skateboarding alive and thriving during the '80s.
[edit] Controversy
Swank has clashed with professional skateboarder Bam Margera. Swank's company, Landspeed, originally produced Bam's first skateboard video CKY. However, Bam was "swanked" out of his due royalties. This led to a dispute which resulted in Bam leaving Toy Machine and LandSpeed. Having seen Swank's infamous con-man bad side, Bam filed a lawsuit. LandSpeed brand director Rob Erickson eventually dropped the brand. Bam has repeatedly made it known that he is not fond of Tod. [1][2]
